SUNDAY JANUARY 04 2009
The water-filled lenses can be produced by the millions and adjusted on-site by the users themselves, many of whom stand less than a one in a million chance of ever visiting with an optometrist.
In Ghana, Silver met a man who had been forced to retire as a tailor because he could no longer see to thread the needle - he was about 35 years old- “We put these specs on him, and he smiled, and threaded his needle, and sped up with this sewing machine. He can work now. He can see!"
The starting point for the development of Adaptive Eyecare's technology was the astonishing statistic that according to the World Health Organization there are currently around one billion people - including 10% of school children - in the world who would benefit from vision correction, but are as yet uncorrected.
Most of these people live in the developing world, and the problem arises principally because the numbers of personnel trained to deliver vision correction in the conventional way are simply inadequate to meet the needs of the people. These statistics have profound implications - they mean that hundreds of millions of adults do not have the vision correction they need to be socially and economically active, and many children are educationally and socially disadvantaged.
The approach of Adaptive Eyecare has been to develop a completely new ophthalmic lens technology which permits them to manufacture revolutionary new spectacles which are universal, in the sense that one pair may be used to correct the vision of over 90% of people requiring correction.
The special feature is that the wearer can adjust the power of each lens to his or her own requirements - this is particularly useful for developing world populations in areas which do not have adequate numbers of those specially trained personnel normally associated with the provision of vision correction.
Adaptive Eyecare's adaptive lenses are fluid- filled and the power is changed by varying the amount of fluid in the lens. The power range of our lenses is +6 to -6 Dioptres, and the optical quality is similar to that of the typical human eye.
For more information please visit www.adaptive-eyecare.com/
THURSDAY JANUARY 01 2009
The National Geographic magazine hold an international competion each year to select what their judges deem to be the best photos in a number of catagories.
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Photo and caption by Matthew Parker. Places: Honorable mention
This is a shot of the traditional fishing boats on Phi Phi Island, Thailand. They are now turned into taxi boats, after the increased popularity of the island after the movie "The Beach" was filmed there. I like how the boats still maintain their traditional vividly colored ties.
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Photo and caption by Cabell Cox. Places: Winner
On a recent visit to a small town on the Brazilian and Bolivian border, I found this man tending to a field of burning debris and vegetation at dusk. Something as mundane as this may seem a daily, routine chore for one man, while offering a symbolic portrait of tranquil repose to another.
Photo and caption by Stephen Oachs. Nature: Winner
The incredibly beautiful snow leopard, Panthera uncia, is indigenous to the mountains of Central Asia. Their dense coats and snowshoe-like paws are ideally suited for their cold, dry, rocky native environment. These shy, elusive cats, when fully grown, weigh up to 120 pounds and nose to tip of their very thick, furry tails measure up to 7 and a half feet long. Sadly, these phenomenal cats are an endangered species. This photograph was taken on a private reserve in Kalispell, Montana.
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Photo and caption by Andrew Wong. Nature: Honorable Mention
Dolphins are known to jump out the back of big waves as they break against the shores. This pod of bottlenose dolphins was leisurely surfing in the waves as the offshore wind blew against the incoming waves, creating an atmosphere that was most unique and magical. At a place called Waterfall Bluff in the Transkei, South Africa.
You can view all of the results in a larger size at National Geographic 2008 photo contest winners.
MONDAY DECEMBER 29 2008
All of us at MB&F wish you all of the best for 2009 - May your star shine even brighter!
SUNDAY DECEMBER 21 2008
Laurent is truly passionate about watches, and that passion shines through in his new website www.Chronopassion.fr
When you click on any of the 'Machines' - now where did that moniker come from? :) - you can see and hear Laurent talking about the timepiece in a video at the bottom left of the window.
Please visit www.chronopassion.fr to see for yourself.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 14 2008
The Thrust team behind the project has held the World Land Speed Record for 25 years, and were first through the Sound Barrier on land.
Because FIA rules restrict only the number of wheels in the land speed record to four or more, with two or more steering, the cars are totally different - any technical advantage one team has will most probably have no relevance to competitors.
The Bloodhoond SCC is powered by both a jet and hybrid rocket. The rocket scores for its raw power and lack of draggy air intake, but the downside is that the rocket is an on/off device - with rocket power alone it would be difficult hitting and holding selected Mach numbers for the aerodynamicists to gain their data. And at these speeds, the team has tread very carefully, increasing the Mach numbers in small, careful steps.
So the car has a Falcon rocket for raw power and a more controllable Eorojet200 for finesses. Auxilary poer is delived by a V12 800 bhp race engine in the middle of the BLOODHOUND SSC, which doubles as the APU delivering hydraulic power as needed. It also starts the Eurojet200 jet engine and pumps the High Test Peroxide (HTP) through to the Falcon rocket.
The team is headed by Project Director - Richard Noble; driver - Wing Commander Andy Green; and Engineering Director - John Piper.
We wish them the very best of luck.
For more information please visit www.bloodhoundssc.com
Adaptive Eyecare- A Liquid Revolution in Eye Glasses
British inventor Josh Silver, a former professor of physics at Oxford University, has come up with a life-changing for millions design with his water-lensed glasses.The water-filled lenses can be produced by the millions and adjusted on-site by the users themselves, many of whom stand less than a one in a million chance of ever visiting with an optometrist.
In Ghana, Silver met a man who had been forced to retire as a tailor because he could no longer see to thread the needle - he was about 35 years old- “We put these specs on him, and he smiled, and threaded his needle, and sped up with this sewing machine. He can work now. He can see!"
The starting point for the development of Adaptive Eyecare's technology was the astonishing statistic that according to the World Health Organization there are currently around one billion people - including 10% of school children - in the world who would benefit from vision correction, but are as yet uncorrected.
Most of these people live in the developing world, and the problem arises principally because the numbers of personnel trained to deliver vision correction in the conventional way are simply inadequate to meet the needs of the people. These statistics have profound implications - they mean that hundreds of millions of adults do not have the vision correction they need to be socially and economically active, and many children are educationally and socially disadvantaged.
The approach of Adaptive Eyecare has been to develop a completely new ophthalmic lens technology which permits them to manufacture revolutionary new spectacles which are universal, in the sense that one pair may be used to correct the vision of over 90% of people requiring correction.
The special feature is that the wearer can adjust the power of each lens to his or her own requirements - this is particularly useful for developing world populations in areas which do not have adequate numbers of those specially trained personnel normally associated with the provision of vision correction.
Adaptive Eyecare's adaptive lenses are fluid- filled and the power is changed by varying the amount of fluid in the lens. The power range of our lenses is +6 to -6 Dioptres, and the optical quality is similar to that of the typical human eye.
For more information please visit www.adaptive-eyecare.com/
THURSDAY JANUARY 01 2009
National Geographic 2008 International Photography Contest
A splash colour to launch the new year!The National Geographic magazine hold an international competion each year to select what their judges deem to be the best photos in a number of catagories.
Photo and caption by Matthew Parker. Places: Honorable mention
This is a shot of the traditional fishing boats on Phi Phi Island, Thailand. They are now turned into taxi boats, after the increased popularity of the island after the movie "The Beach" was filmed there. I like how the boats still maintain their traditional vividly colored ties.
Photo and caption by Cabell Cox. Places: Winner
On a recent visit to a small town on the Brazilian and Bolivian border, I found this man tending to a field of burning debris and vegetation at dusk. Something as mundane as this may seem a daily, routine chore for one man, while offering a symbolic portrait of tranquil repose to another.
Photo and caption by Stephen Oachs. Nature: Winner
The incredibly beautiful snow leopard, Panthera uncia, is indigenous to the mountains of Central Asia. Their dense coats and snowshoe-like paws are ideally suited for their cold, dry, rocky native environment. These shy, elusive cats, when fully grown, weigh up to 120 pounds and nose to tip of their very thick, furry tails measure up to 7 and a half feet long. Sadly, these phenomenal cats are an endangered species. This photograph was taken on a private reserve in Kalispell, Montana.
Photo and caption by Andrew Wong. Nature: Honorable Mention
Dolphins are known to jump out the back of big waves as they break against the shores. This pod of bottlenose dolphins was leisurely surfing in the waves as the offshore wind blew against the incoming waves, creating an atmosphere that was most unique and magical. At a place called Waterfall Bluff in the Transkei, South Africa.
You can view all of the results in a larger size at National Geographic 2008 photo contest winners.
MONDAY DECEMBER 29 2008
2009 Seasons Greetings from MB&F
All of us at MB&F wish you all of the best for 2009 - May your star shine even brighter!
SUNDAY DECEMBER 21 2008
New website for Chronopassion
Laurent Picciotto of Chronopassion in Paris was one of MB&F's very first 'Friends' and I am happy to say that he is not only an original Friend of MB&F, he is also a longtime personal friend as well - see 'The new Gerald Genta Gefica Safari brings back a few memories' to learn just how far we go back.Laurent is truly passionate about watches, and that passion shines through in his new website www.Chronopassion.fr
When you click on any of the 'Machines' - now where did that moniker come from? :) - you can see and hear Laurent talking about the timepiece in a video at the bottom left of the window.
Please visit www.chronopassion.fr to see for yourself.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 14 2008
The Bloodhound - Super Sonic Car
The BLOODHOUND SCC Project aims to break the world land speed record by achieving over 1,000mph/1,600kmh. Construction of the car is due to be completed by the end of 2009 and a record attempt may happen in 2011.The Thrust team behind the project has held the World Land Speed Record for 25 years, and were first through the Sound Barrier on land.
Because FIA rules restrict only the number of wheels in the land speed record to four or more, with two or more steering, the cars are totally different - any technical advantage one team has will most probably have no relevance to competitors.
The Bloodhoond SCC is powered by both a jet and hybrid rocket. The rocket scores for its raw power and lack of draggy air intake, but the downside is that the rocket is an on/off device - with rocket power alone it would be difficult hitting and holding selected Mach numbers for the aerodynamicists to gain their data. And at these speeds, the team has tread very carefully, increasing the Mach numbers in small, careful steps.
So the car has a Falcon rocket for raw power and a more controllable Eorojet200 for finesses. Auxilary poer is delived by a V12 800 bhp race engine in the middle of the BLOODHOUND SSC, which doubles as the APU delivering hydraulic power as needed. It also starts the Eurojet200 jet engine and pumps the High Test Peroxide (HTP) through to the Falcon rocket.
The team is headed by Project Director - Richard Noble; driver - Wing Commander Andy Green; and Engineering Director - John Piper.
We wish them the very best of luck.
For more information please visit www.bloodhoundssc.com